Common CoreState Standards

in

English Language Artsand

Mathematicsfor

Grades Kindergarten – 12th Arkansas State Board of Education

Adopted July 12, 2010

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative?

A state-led effort to establish a single set of clear standards for English/language arts and mathematics throughout the nation.

Common Core State Standards

Two major components…

1) Standards

2) Assessments

Glossary of Terms

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC): one of two state consortia using federal Race to the Top funds to craft shared assessments in mathematics and English/language arts

SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium: one of two state consortia using federal Race to the Top funds to craft shared assessments in mathematics and English/language arts

Glossary of Terms

Domains: overarching ideas that connect topics across the grades

Clusters: illustrate progression of increasing complexity from grade to grade

Standards: define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level

As of May 2011, 44 States + DC have adopted the Common Core State Standards

Why now?

Disparate standards across states

Student mobility

Global competition

Today’s jobs require different skills

Common Core State Standards Design

Building on the strength of current state standards, the CCSS are designed to be:

Focused, coherent, clear and rigorous

Internationally benchmarked

Evidence and research based

Anchored in college and career readiness*

* Ready for first-year credit-bearing, postsecondary coursework in mathematics and English without the need for remediation.

Overview of K-8 Mathematics Standards

The K-8 mathematics standards:

The K-5 standards provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals

The 6-8 standards describe robust learning in geometry, algebra and probability/statistics

Overview of K-8 Mathematics Standards

Modeled after the focus of standards from high-performing nations, the standards for grades 7 and 8 include significant algebra and geometry content

Students who have completed 7th grade and mastered the content and skills will be prepared for algebra in 8th grade or after

Overview of High School Mathematics Standards

The high school mathematics standards:

Call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges

Require students to develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, for example, preparing a cost analysis for a company

Overview of High School Mathematics Standards

Emphasize mathematical modeling, the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, understand them better and improve decisions

Identify the mathematics that all students should study in order to be college and career ready

Major difference between current Arkansas frameworks & Common Core State Standards

More rigorous content at lower grade levels.

Gap Analysis -- Mathematics

How well aligned do you think the Arkansas Standards are to the Common Core State

Standards in Mathematics?

Gap Analysis -- Mathematics: Overall

What percentage of the Common Core Math Standards matched* with the Arkansas Math Standards?

97%

3%

CC Matched AR StandardsCC Not Found In AR Standards

* Match conducted by Arkansas Department of Education and educators from across the state using Achieve’s Common Core Comparison tool.

Gap Analysis -- Mathematics: Digging Deeper into the Matched StandardsHow strong were the matches* between the K-12 Common

Core Standards and the Arkansas Math Standards?

38%

44%

15% 3%

Excellent Match to ARGood Match to ARWeak Match to ARNo Match to AR

* Match conducted by Arkansas Department of Education and educators from across the state using Achieve’s Common Core Comparison tool.

Overview of Reading Strand

Reading

Progressive development of reading comprehension; students gain more from what they read

Emphasize the importance of grade-level texts that are of appropriate difficulty and are increasingly sophisticated

Overview of Reading Strand

Domains

Standards for Reading Foundational Skills (K-5)

Reading Standards for Literature (K-12)

Reading Standards for Informational Text (K-12)

Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies (6-12)

Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects (6-12)

Overview of Writing Strand

Writing

Expect students to compose arguments and opinions, informative/explanatory pieces and narrative texts

Focus on the use of reason and evidence to substantiate an argument or claim

Emphasize ability to conduct research – short projects and sustained inquiry

Overview of Writing Strand

Require students to incorporate technology as they create, refine and collaborate on writing

Include student writing samples that illustrate the criteria required to meet the standards (see standards’ appendices for writing samples)

Overview of Speaking and Listeningand Language Strands

Speaking and Listening Focus on speaking and listening in a range of settings, both formal and informal – academic, small-group, whole-class discussions

Emphasize effective communication practices

Require interpretation and analysis of message as presented through oral, visual or multimodal formats

Overview of Speaking and Listeningand Language Strands

Language Include conventions for writing and speaking

Highlight the importance of vocabulary acquisition through a mix of conversation, direct instruction and reading

To be addressed in context or reading, writing, speaking and listening

Overview of Speaking and Listeningand Language Strands

Media and technology are integratedthroughout the standards.

Gap Analysis – English Language Arts

How well aligned do you think the Arkansas Standards are to the Common Core State

Standards in English Language Arts?

Gap Analysis – English Language Arts

What percentage of the Common Core ELA Standards matched* with the Arkansas ELA Standards?

99%

1%

Matched AR StandardsNot Found in AR Standards

* Match conducted by Arkansas Department of Education and educators from across the state using Achieve’s Common Core Comparison tool.

Gap Analysis – English Language Arts:Digging Deeper into the Matched Standards

How strong were the matches* between the K-12 Common Core State Standards and the

Arkansas ELA Standards?

63%

26%

8% 1%

Excellent Match to ARGood Match to ARWeak Match to ARNo Match to AR

* Match conducted by Arkansas Department of Education and educators from across the state using Achieve’s Common Core Comparison tool.

First the standards and then the…

ASSESSMENTS

Two Testing Consortia

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) – Arkansas is a member state

SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium

About PARCC

PARCC is an alliance of 25 states working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers

PARCC is state-led and a subset of PARCC states, including Arkansas, comprise its Governing Board

PARCC States

Governing Board States Member State

About PARCC

Collectively the PARCC states educate more than 31 million students – nearly 63% of K-12

students attending American public schools.

Assessment

New assessments will be ready for use during the 2014-2015 school year

Two tests in each subject – literacy and mathematics:

One computer-based test beginning at third grade One exam of essays and performance tasks

District Transition

Transition has begun!!

District Transition

February/March 2011 -- All kindergarten, first grade and second grade teachers, building administrators and applicable support staff participated in awareness activities

May 2011 -- All kindergarten, first grade and second grade teachers, and applicable support staff participated in day-long work sessions

District Transition

Kindergarten, first and second grade curriculum maps, highlighting:

pacing of the content academic vocabulary resources for literacy and mathematics

Developed by teachers for their use during the 2011-2012 school year.

District Transition

On August 9, 2011, all kindergarten through second grade teachers will meet to review

materials and identify any remaining needs.

District Transition

Grades three through eight will formally begin the transition to Common Core State

Standards January 2012.

Implementation Timeline

2010-2011 Information to K-12 staff2011-2012 K-2 Implementation2012-2013 3-8 Implementation2013-2014 9-12 Implementation2014-2015 New Assessments

For more information…

English Language Artshttp://fspsliteracy.pbworks.com/w/page/7554211/FrontPage

Mathematicshttp://fspsmathematics.pbworks.com/w/page/7554617/FrontPage

“Will Common Core State Standards take schools, teachers and students in an entirely different direction? No! While there will be changes in sequence and a clarification of content, many

elements of the process will not change. “

“However, the fact that students will be exposed to a coordinated set of learning expectations – a common core of standards – in practically every

state represents significant progress toward making schools more effective in preparing every

student for college or careers.”

Benny L. GoodenSuperintendent of SchoolsFort Smith Public Schools